To enable the effective carriage of equipment and materiel as helicopter underslung loads in support of UK military commitments and provide advice on helicopter underslung load operations
Armoured vehicle attached to a chinook ready to undergo flight assessment trials at JADTEU.
Introduction
Joint Air Delivery Test and Evaluation Unit (JADTEU) Helicopter Section is responsible for the assessment and trial of all equipment that is to be underslung from UK military helicopters.
Initial Assessment
The process ideally begins at the design stage with the Section providing advice in conjunction with input from JADTEU Engineering Section, to the manufacturers of the equipment to be underslung.
When accepted for trial the equipment is subject to a full engineering assessment and airworthiness inspection. This is followed by the development of a suitable rigging scheme and static assessment beneath a gantry utilising instrumented slinging equipment. Once the design has been approved the equipment is presented for flight assessment.
Flight Assessment
The trial comprises of a number of elements designed to assess the characteristics of the underslung load under various flight configurations. From this assessment the optimum speed, angle of bank and rate of descent at which the equipment can be safely flown is ascertained.
Chinook helicopter lifting Apache helicopter as part of an Underslung Load Clearance trial.
Publication
On completion of the flight assessment and following sponsor acceptance of the results the details are published in the form of an Underslung Load Clearance (USLC) and published in Air Publication AP101A-1105-1B which is used throughout the military as the authorised method for the preparation and flying of the load.
Operational Tasks
In addition to conducting trials work Helicopter Section regularly deploys in support of operational tasks where there is a requirement to lift unique loads.
Other responsibilities include the recovery of downed aircraft and damaged vehicles that are inaccessible by other means.
Military Aid to the Civil Community (MACC)
The section may be called upon to provide support in times of crisis and disaster wherever helicopter underslung load operations are required.
Advice to External Agencies
Helicopter Section provides advice and guidance to many external agencies such as Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S), Integrated Project Teams (IPT's) and directly to civilian industry on all matters relating to helicopter underslung load operations.
International Support
Additionally the section regularly provides advice and support, including flight assessment, to other nations worldwide.
Other Tasks
Usually on a repayment basis support can be provided to anybody requiring advice and assistance to move equipment or materiel underslung beneath a helicopter.